Coveted
by trutenor
Summary: Naruto returns to the village after three years, but why is everyone acting so strange? Sasuke with a harem? Kakashi passionate? Kiba a cat lover? And why is Hinata so possessive and violent?


_Victory…_

That was the message delivered to Hokage Senju Tsunade, who had been filling out some documents inside her office. And as the Godaime of Konohagakure sipped some of her sake, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief…

Due to the reconstruction of Konoha following Orochimaru's invasion during the Chuunin exams, most of the Chuunin and Jounin in the village were unavailable due to being on missions. There was an unwritten rule around the elemental nations, and it was stated as such: _A village cannot be seen as weak to the rest of the world…_

Reconstruction cost money. And the only way to earn it was to accept and complete as many missions as possible. A weak village was an unprofitable village, so Konoha had been left with no other alternative but to show the rest of the world that even if you destroyed their home, you would never destroy the Will of Fire that burned inside each and every citizen.

Unfortunately, it would seem that in the end, Orochimaru would have the last laugh…

Shortly after returning to Konoha after her self-imposed exile, newly sworn in Godaime Senju Tsunade had been given the horrifying news that Uchiha Sasuke, last of the once proud Uchiha clan, had defected from the village in an attempt to go to Orochimaru. This had left her with quite the dilemma. There was no question that retrieving Uchiha Sasuke was of the utmost importance. Sasuke needed to be captured, and he needed to be captured quickly. Yet the pride of Konoha was of a higher priority. The enemy could not know that Konoha was vulnerable, not know that _now_ was the proper time to strike. That news would damage Konoha even more than anything Orochimaru's forces had done. So the cream of the crop, that being the Jounin and upper level Chuunin, had left the village to complete missions while the remainder of the Chuunin stayed behind to help with reconstruction and offer some form of protection to the village.

Yet someone needed to find Uchiha Sasuke and bring him back home. Time was of the essence! Oh what to do?

But there was hope...There was still _one_ Chuunin who would be available to partake in this mission. This particular young man was one who had greatly impressed the village with his intellect, and shown what it truly meant to be a ninja. His physical strength might have been lacking compared to that of his peers, but then again he didn't have to be strong, for his _true strength _was his mind that could think five steps ahead. Before an attack was even made, this genius already had counterattacks planned for each and every theoretical scenario. If he was given time to think, it was already checkmate…

So who _was_ this young man that was the last glimmer of hope for Konoha? He was Konohagakure's lazy genius, Nara Shikamaru…

Shikamaru had been given his mission. To recruit as many of the top genin that he could find in half an hour and to set off in search of Sasuke, with a recommendation by the Hokage herself to add Uzumaki Naruto to the retrieval team. After making the final preparations, Shikamaru and his team had set out to do what their Hokage had asked of them. Rock Lee was later sent after the retrieval team in hopes of adding extra assistance. Failure was not an option. Uchiha Sasuke could not be allowed to fall into the hands of Orochimaru.

Tsunade had forced the bile back down her throat after sending those boys on their mission, for that is what they were, _boys._ It irked her to have possibly sent that team to an early grave, but what choice did she have? None of the other Chuunin or Jounin were available due to the more pressing matters of maintaining a strong image of Konoha to the rest of the world, yet Uchiha Sasuke could not be allowed to traverse too far before it became too late to bring him back. Those boys were indeed skilled for their age, but they were still _genin,_ taking on a mission well above their rank. Sure one could argue that at least they were being led by a Chuunin, but said Chuunin was still _green_ in his promotion, not yet having the opportunity to ease into his newly acquired rank.

But victory had been delivered! Uchiha Sasuke had been detained and brought back to Konoha!

Yet while the retrieval team had indeed been victorious, victory had come at a harsh price. Inuzuka Kiba, Rock Lee, and Nara Shikamaru _would_ have met their end had it not been for the intervention of the Suna siblings, who arrived at the last minute to offer their aid to Konoha. Akimichi Chouji and Hyuuga Neji had not been quite as fortunate. Unlike their teammates, Chouji and Neji had not received assistance from Suna in their respective battles, yet instead had to singlehandedly show what it meant to have the "Will of Fire". Unfortunately, both young men entered critical condition immediately following the conclusion of their successful battles and would have died had it not been for emergency operations from Tsunade herself.

Uzumaki Naruto had been an even worse monster (no pun intended) altogether. With a pierced lung that caused temporary paralysis in the right arm along with complications in breathing, Uzumaki Naruto _should have_ been dead. It had only been thanks to Kyuubi that Naruto had been able to cheat death and continue on with his mission in bringing his brother back home.

And just like his teammates before him, Naruto had succeeded. With one final ounce of strength, Naruto's Rasengan had been enough to knock Uchiha Sasuke into unconsciousness. The win had been short lived however as Naruto soon joined Sasuke in the land of slumber nearly after.

_"What I wouldn't give for a bowl from Ichiraku right about now, dattebayo…"_ Thirteen year old Uzumaki Naruto muses, as he looks up at the ceiling from his hospital bed. It had been one week since the successful retrieval mission, though Naruto had been unconscious the first three days. Upon finally waking up on the fourth day, Naruto had been visited by Shikamaru who had delivered the final results of the mission. Everyone had survived, though like Naruto himself, Akimichi Chouji and Hyuuga Neji had entered critical states and come close to death. After Shikamaru had left the room, Naruto had then been visited by his teammate Haruno Sakura, who had thanked Naruto for bringing Sasuke back home and keeping Team 7 from falling apart. Naruto had smiled upon seeing the happy face of his female teammate, glad to have been able to make good on his promise of a lifetime.

After Sakura, Naruto had also been visited by his ninja academy teacher Umino Iruka and his Team 7 Jounin sensei Hatake Kakashi. Both men expressed pride in Naruto for his bravery and wished him a healthy recovery, though they both knew that thanks to Naruto's "tenant" that a quick recovery was pretty much guaranteed. After those two men Naruto had not received any further visitors that day. On day five however, Sannin no Jiraiya had finally arrived and told Naruto that they would be leaving the village for two and a half years as soon as he was released from the hospital. Jiraiya then made his farewell, leaving Naruto to deal with the solitude once more...

Day six in the Konoha hospital had been uneventful. Aside from the nurses who brought in unsavory meals (Naruto had begged the nurses to bring him some ramen but to no avail) and tidied up around the room, Naruto had received no visitors. Upon the seventh day, cabin fever had started to take form so Naruto, not willing to lose his sanity, decided to leave his room for a brief moment and check up on Sasuke. Naruto had heard from gossiping nurses in the hallway that Jiraiya, along with assistance from Tsunade, had successfully been able to remove the curse seal upon Sasuke's neck, so Naruto felt this would be the best time to talk with the teammate he considered his closest friend and brother. No longer would Orochimaru torment Sasuke, and next time Itachi showed up in Konoha, Naruto would go with Sasuke and they would defeat the rogue Uchiha _together,_ like the family that they were.

Naruto grits his teeth as he walks two doors east to the room where Sasuke was currently at. Most of the pain in his body from his fight with Sasuke had subsided, but it had not gone away completely. Naruto could barely walk, and both his hands and head were completely wrapped in bandages except for the eyes and mouth. The slight pain that Naruto felt in his hamstring was a handy reminder that he _should not_ be walking right now, but Naruto had willed himself to keep moving. _No pain_ would be too great to see his brother.

Naruto prepares to knock at Sasuke's door but lowers his fist at the last second upon seeing a slight crack in the closed room. Perhaps Sasuke had a visitor?

Sure enough, as Naruto peeked through the open crack in Sasuke's room, his assumption was proven correct when he saw that their teammate Sakura was currently inside the room talking to Sasuke. The crack in the door had not been enough to see everything, but it had been enough to see everything that _mattered._

For starters, Naruto had seen that the coffee table inside Sasuke's room had a bunch of bouquets and "get well cards" on top. Wait? Sasuke had flowers? Where were _his_ flowers? Naruto was a patient too! The next thing that Naruto saw was Sasuke's condition. Similar to Naruto, Sasuke had seen better days. While his face wasn't bandaged up, Sasuke had instead had his right arm inside a sling, perhaps a side effect from overusing the Chidori on top of injury.

"Sakura…" Sasuke's solemn voice spoke, as Sakura gave him her undivided attention. Naruto also decided to silence his thoughts for the moment. Perhaps Sasuke might say something interesting, "When Team 7 first formed, do you remember what I said my goal was?"

"To kill an important man?" Sakura asks, as apprehension starts to form upon her face. Why would Sasuke ask her about _that?_ "Yeah I remember, but why do you ask Sasuke-kun?"

"Besides that," Sasuke smirks, as his face loosens up, "What other goal did I have?"

"To revive your clan?" Sakura answers, still not quite comprehending the point of Sasuke's questions. But then again, _any_ time spent with Sasuke was better than _no_ time spent with him, so she would take whatever she could get.

"Precisely…" Sasuke nods slowly, being careful not to irritate his injured arm. Now that Sakura was on the same wavelength as him, perhaps now Sasuke felt that he could unveil the rest of his plan, "Not counting my traitorous _brother,_ I am the last Uchiha. When I die, the Uchiha clan will die with me. _Unless_ I repopulate the village with fresh Uchiha blood. The village elders came and spoke to me on the second day after I woke up. There is an official document known as the _Clan Restoration Act _that permits me to have as many wives as I see fit in order to restore my clan. I have already decided that I am going to take part, as this is the best option presented to me in order to revive my clan. Sakura, it would mean a lot to me if you would be my first wife…"

Sasuke's teammates had different reactions upon hearing his request. Naruto felt like someone had punched him in the gut while Sakura's cheeks immediately turned a shade of red matching her uniform. For _too_ _long_ had Sakura yearned for Sasuke to ask her to be his, too long had she wanted Sasuke to see her with the same eyes that she always saw him with. For Sakura, hearing these words come out of Sasuke's lips was _nearly_ a dream come true…

What had kept this dream from being complete was the fact that Sasuke had asked her to be the first of _many_ wives. Many as in _sharing._ Share Sasuke-kun with other women? Shannaro! Sakura had no intention or desire to share Sasuke with _anyone._ Why should she have to do such a thing?

But then Sakura had remembered why Sasuke had asked her such a thing in the first place. Sasuke was _indeed_ the last Uchiha. Once he left this world, so would the clan since she doubted that his brother had any thoughts about settling down. Being from a ninja family herself, Sakura understood the significance of Sasuke's request. A ninja generally took pride in two things, their techniques and their clan. Sasuke's brother had wiped out his clan but now Sasuke had a chance to get it all back and reclaim the pride that was wrongfully taken away from him. Regardless of her feelings, Sasuke was going to rebuild his clan by _any_ means necessary, with or without her consent. So why not have _some_ of Sasuke instead of _none_ of him?

It was with that rational that Sakura had made her choice. So she would have to share Sasuke with several other women, but there was one advantage that she would hold. As the _first_ woman in Sasuke's life, Sakura would automatically be given seniority in terms of decisions regarding the clan. Whenever Sasuke wasn't present, it would be _her word_ that would hold the most weight. And when it came to bearing children _she_ would be the first woman that Sasuke lay with. When Sakura stopped to think about it, this was truly a mutual agreement between the both of them. Except for one small factor…

Sakura truly loved Sasuke with all of her heart. She would be willing to _die_ for Sasuke. Hell, she had been willing to abandon the village _along_ with Sasuke in his quest for power. But how did Sasuke feel? Did he care for her as she did for him, or was she simply a convenient baby maker?

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura's eyes started to water as she looked towards the floor. She hated having to ask this, but she needed to know the truth. As much as she loved Sasuke, Sakura refused to live a lie. She had her pride after all, "You know how I feel about you. From the moment we first met at Academy, I have had feelings for you. Those feelings only intensified when we became a team. I admit that my feelings for you might have bordered on _fanatical_ at times, but it's only because I still couldn't believe that every moment I spent with you as part of team Seven _wasn't_ a dream. I was afraid that one day I would wake up, and all of the good times that you and I shared together would have all been a lie. Sasuke-kun, my love for you is _real,_ but if you don't feel the same way about me, then I want no part in your plans. You can rebuild your clan without me…"

Sakura shifts her eyes towards Sasuke's stoic face as the first few teardrops start to flow down her cheekbones. It had finally been said. From here on out, no matter what the outcome might be, at least now everything was out in the open. To their enemies, a shinobi should be as cryptic as possible but to their neighbors, a shinobi should be honest. To be a shinobi was to be a living contradiction.

"Hnn…" Sasuke was truly blown away by Sakura's confession. He was right to ask Sakura to be the first to rebuild his clan. His respect for her had gone up quite a bit after her words, "You misunderstood what I was asking, Sakura. I'm not looking for _sheep._ If that was the case, then I could simply settle for one of the many whores that populate the red light district. No, what I am looking for is one that can stand by my side as my _equal,_ someone that I can spend the rest of my life with. It just so happens that due to circumstances beyond my control that having multiple wives is the only way to bring back my once proud clan. Sakura, I meant what I said. I need multiple wives but I want you to be the _head_ wife. I will love all of my wives but you will always hold slightly more prominence within my heart."

Sakura wiped her eyes as she approached Sasuke's bedside. Her heart began to beat again while her stomach started to become slightly queasy. This wasn't a dream, was it?

"Sakura," Sasuke continued, as Sakura tested the waters by placing a soft palm against his cheek, relishing that Sasuke didn't oppose her affections, "I did a lot of thinking while I was stuck inside this damned hospital room, and I realize now just how much of a fool I was to try to leave. To leave Konoha, to leave Team Seven, to leave _you…_many times have I called our teammate an idiot when it was actually _me_ who was the true fool. And though Orochimaru's curse seal indeed manipulated some of my thinking, I cannot blame some of my actions on it completely. I should have treated you much better than I have, and for that I apologize. So will you honor this fool's humble request and be his for all eternity?"

"Yes…" Sakura cries as the tears start up again, "I shall be yours, now and forever. It brings me great joy to be able to help you rebuild you-no, _our_ family. By order of the _Clan Restoration Act_ I, Haruno Sakura, promise to be your first wife in regards to rebuilding the Uchiha Clan."

Sakura then closed her eyes, and planted her lips upon Sasuke's. The kiss was delicate, sweet, longing; _everything_ that Sakura had yearned to convey to Sasuke yet could not find the words to do. Meanwhile, Sasuke had to keep himself from chuckling. Sasuke _abhorred_ sweet things, yet in an ironic twist of fate he found that the sweetness of his cherry blossom teammate was something that he would never get tired of.

Sasuke was almost certain that he would be executed upon being brought back to the village. Fortunately for him, the village elders had given Sasuke an _offer he couldn't refuse,_ his only chance at redemption…

The Clan Restoration Act. While many would argue that this was a poorly thrown together excuse to justify harems, this official document (which also existed in the other elemental nations) was put into place to allow a clan facing extinction to once again prosper and repopulate. There were a couple of rules and guidelines however. The first rule was that at least one member must be an active shinobi. While Sasuke's case was a bit of a question mark (what with attempted treason and all), he technically still qualified. The second rule was that said clan must possess a kekkei genkai or some sort of jutsu or skill that only that clan could do or specialized in. Sasuke also qualified due to the Uchiha's unique kekkei genkai in the Sharingan. The third and final rule was that the clan must be endangered at the time of the document put into place. While each of the elemental nations had their own set of rules and guidelines, in the Land of Fire, the maximum amount of members a clan was allowed to have to be considered endangered was ten. Of course exceptions were made due to circumstances such as members becoming missing nins or being relocated to other elemental nations, but otherwise no more than ten members. Once again, Sasuke qualified for this rule. Since Itachi was a missing nin and would be executed if he returned to the village, for all intents and purposes Sasuke was the last of the Uchiha.

It was the Clan Restoration Act itself that had allowed Sasuke to cheat death. In the past, the Uchiha had been prominent, and many had longed to marry into this clan in the hopes of improving their social status. One mustn't forget the history surrounding the Uchiha clan. Along with the Senju clan, the Uchiha was one of the cornerstones of the village, being one of the two clans to create what would become known as the village hidden in the leaves. Sasuke was a part of history that the majority of Konoha had no intentions of parting with.

But despite how valuable Sasuke's stock was, he had still attempted to defect the village. Rules were rules regardless of status, regardless of rank, regardless of recognition. The Clan Restoration Act was a great asset towards keeping Sasuke's head off of the chopping block, but it alone would not suffice. If Konoha wanted Sasuke to remain in the world of the living, then diplomacy and logic must also justify why Sasuke deserved life.

It was almost amusing how something that had once been thought of as a curse had instead turned into a blessing in disguise. As confirmed by tokubetsu Jounin Mitarashi Anko, the curse seal that Orochimaru gave to "special people" held a mild form of mind control. Furthermore, neither Anko nor Sasuke had been given a choice in accepting the curse seal. Orochimaru had practically forced it upon them. Why then should Sasuke be punished for something that wasn't entirely his fault?

With all of the evidence presented, Sasuke had escaped execution, and would even be allowed to retain his ninja career. However, he would be suspended for an inordinate amount of time and also have several "friendly visits" with Morino Ibiki, head of the Interrogation Department. Ibiki was feared all throughout Konoha for his sadism, and most felt that a session with him actually raised the question if _death _was the lesser of two evils. This was the compromise that Konoha had come up with. Suspend Sasuke and send him to Ibiki for "rehabilitation", but he is entered into the Clan Restoration Act. And to further ensure that Sasuke did not renege on his part of the bargain, five initial girls were automatically selected for him to marry within the year, girls that would be moving into the Uchiha compound upon Sasuke's discharge from the hospital. Sasuke's only regret was that he had been so blind, _so stupid_ to not realize what he nearly gave up.

But never again. Never again would Sasuke allow himself to cross that line that separated the light from the darkness. Sasuke had nearly crossed over completely, and there was no telling what would happen had that occurred. Thanks to Tsunade and Jiraiya, there was no curse seal this time to use as a justifiable excuse. From now on, all of Sasuke's decisions and actions were his and his alone, both good and bad.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura questions as she breaks up the kiss, "Did you hear something? It sounded like someone was eavesdropping outside..."

Naruto was not certain what hurt more as he rushed back to his room. There was no question that his wounds following the mission had hurt like hell, but they would diminish over time. Whatever didn't kill you only made you stronger, right?

But his heart…it threatened to burst into a million pieces after what he had just heard. Naruto may have been naïve about a lot of things, and his intelligence often made others in the village question how he was able to function at times, but Naruto was _far_ from being the village idiot that Konoha often perceived him as. Naruto _knew_ that Sakura was in love with Sasuke, but the only reason why he never let it faze him was because he never thought that Sasuke would reciprocate her feelings. What was _supposed_ to happen was that Sakura was supposed to finally realize that Sasuke would never accept her, but Naruto who had always supported Sakura from the sidelines would welcome her with open arms. Sakura was supposed to see that Naruto was _just as good_ if not _better_ than Sasuke.

But like all things, plans have a way of going awry. Naruto had not expected for Sasuke to realize what a catch Sakura-chan was. Sasuke was supposed to remain oblivious to the affections of their cherry blossom haired teammate, so what went wrong? What changed the course of things?

_"Perhaps I finally knocked some sense into him, dattebayo…"_ Naruto joked as he climbed back into bed. Despite how he felt, Naruto had attempted to try and keep a positive attitude on things. Unfortunately, that little jab had failed in easing the situation.

It was ironic…Naruto had bandages around his hands and face to help heal his body, yet there was _no bandage_ that he could acquire to help heal the pain inside his heart. To be fair, Naruto was happy that Sakura had finally managed to find happiness. When Sakura was happy, he was happy. Well…somewhat…

Naruto snorted as he tried to make himself comfortable. Happiness? What was that? Despite a few brief spurts such as whenever he went to Ichiraku or when he finally became a _genin,_ Naruto had not really known what true happiness was. For that matter, Naruto didn't even know what _love_ truly was. Sure he had read about it and seen it happen to others, but never had Naruto really experienced love for himself.

_"Like there was ever a chance for me…"_ Naruto scorns, hating how his body suddenly felt colder despite having on the bed sheets. Naruto would never claim to be an expert on relationships and emotions, but he surmised that the lack of love he had received had something to do with the beast that was currently sealed inside his stomach. _What_ _else_ could be the reason? Why else would Sasuke, the one who attempted to defect the village have flowers, get well cards, and an attractive woman vying for his attention in the next room while Naruto, the one who attempted to retrieve Sasuke have nothing or nobody waiting for him? It was a sad truth. Being the host to the nine tailed fox had successfully robbed Naruto of happiness and love, things that he rightfully deserved.

"Na-naruto-kun?"

Naruto's attention was brought to the door as he saw a kunoichi enter the room. Said kunoichi was the only member of the rookie nine shorter then Naruto at 148.3 cm, but the height didn't matter to Naruto. What was significant was that the young lady that wore a cream colored jacket and navy blue pants seemed to always turn red in Naruto's presence, but was also one of the kindest, gentlest, most loving people that existed in Konoha. Her elegance, her grace, her compassion, it was a delicacy often sought after due to the rarity of it.

"Forgive me for not showing up earlier in the week, Naruto-kun…" Thirteen year old Hyuuga Hinata apologized, as she closed the door to the room. Naruto was still in shock over having a visitor that _didn't_ visit out of obligation, "Th-there were…ma-matters that I had to at-attend to…"

"Don't worry about it…" Naruto's eyes went back to the wall on the far side of the room. He hadn't expected this angel with dark blue hair and eyes that glowed like pearls to visit him in the first place. She _was_ the heir to the Hyuuga, "You really didn't have to visit me. I'm nobody important, dattebayo…"

"Don't say that!" Hinata pleaded, as she got closer towards Naruto's bedside. Why would he say something like that? "You _are_ important, Naruto-kun! Why would you fe-feel that you are not?!"

Naruto sighed as his attention was once again back on the Hyuuga heiress. Hinata was truly a sweet girl, more giving then the entirety of Konoha combined, but Naruto felt that she had _no idea_ what she was getting herself into. Hinata was still innocent. She didn't need to get involved with him. She didn't yet need to know the _truth._ But then again, Hinata had come to visit out of her own free will, _without_ expecting anything in return. Surely that accounted for something, right?

Naruto had decided. Hinata deserved _some explanation_ as to why things were the way they were. It was a disgusting pill to swallow, but better that she taste a nasty truth instead of a sweet lie. And besides, they were ninja. To always be imbued in the darkness was part of their job description.

"Hinata…" Naruto begins, as he closes his eyes briefly. How to break it to her without being too harsh? "Did you visit Kiba before you came here?"

"Yes…" Hinata answered, wondering why her crush was in such a dismal state, "Kiba-kun looks to be doing a lot better. He was actually released from the hospital today..."

"That's good to hear," Naruto grinned, briefly resembling the enthusiastic young man that Hinata was accustomed to. Naruto had meant what he said. Kiba had risked his life to help bring Sasuke back to the village. Naruto had nothing but respect for Kiba after that deed, "Did Kiba have a lot of flowers and get well cards in his room?"

"He did…" Hinata smiles as she remembers Kiba's sister Inuzuka Hana escort him out of the hospital, "Kiba-kun was so happy to know that the citizens of Konoha cared about his well being. Kiba-kun didn't have too many flowers since the aroma bothered his nose, but he had a lot of cards and chocola-wait a minute…Naruto-kun? Why is your room so bare? Why don't you have any flowers or cards? You participated in the mission and were injured as well!"

A pang of guilt went through Hinata's heart as she saw her crush's eyes fall to his bed sheets, suddenly wishing that she could take back her words. Not only was Naruto _aware_ of the situation, but it seemed to be a sensitive topic for him as well. "Naruto-kun..." Hinata started to whimper, "Please forgive me…I…I didn't mean…"

"It's ok…" Naruto replied, looking towards the Hyuuga heiress once more. Why did Hinata care for him so much? Why was she so different from the rest of his friends? Now that Naruto thought about it, not once had Hinata held angry eyes towards him. Naruto had seen it on the faces of all of his other friends _at least_ once, but never Hinata. Why? What was so special about him?

"Do you really want to know?" Naruto cautioned, not yet certain if the warning was for Hinata or for himself, "Do you really want to learn the _truth_ behind why I have no flowers, no chocolate, no get well cards? Hinata, you have been nicer to me than most people have been my entire life. In the Chuunin exams, you offered to let me copy off of your test, even though we are both on different teams. You gave me medicine to help heal my wounds...you gave me good advice when I was feeling down, and believed in me when nobody else did! I'm almost afraid to tell you everything because I wonder if you'll turn your back on me as well, and hate me for something that I never had a say in!"

It was at that moment that Naruto's eyes got watery. Naruto loathed himself for allowing those tears to form. He was taught that crying; especially in front of a woman was a sign of weakness, something that he refused to be, something that he sought to change with each passing day. How could he become Hokage if he couldn't even control his emotions?

"Nothing you say can make me hate you Na-naruto-kun," Hinata soothes as she pulls her crush into a hug, feeling courage that she never thought existed before, "And no-nothing you do will ever make me turn against you. I care for you too much, and I'll always be here for you, no matter what. Now please tell me Naruto-kun. Please tell me what it is that has taken away your smile…"

"Then you might want to sit down…" Naruto suggests as Hinata grabs one of the spare chairs in the room, "What I'm about to tell you is _classified_ information, meaning that you can never talk about it to anybody else but me and Tsunade-baachan. This is an _S-rank_ secret, and if you speak about it except to a selected few, then under orders from the law, you will be _killed._ Still wish to know?"

Hinata slowly nodded her head as she sat by Naruto's bedside. She had come this far already; nothing would deter her, nothing would keep Hinata away from her precious Naruto-kun.

"Hinata…" Naruto began, after swallowing a gulp. Confiding his biggest secret to one of his peers would not be easy, but Naruto willed himself to be strong. Hinata needed to know, she _deserved_ to know after showing so much concern for him. And whatever happens after, deal with it then…"What have you heard about the Kyuubi?"

Hinata blinked her eyes at that question. What did the Kyuubi have to do with anything?

"From what I was taught…" Hinata recites, trying to remember the knowledge she had been taught in Ninja Academy, "…the Kyuubi terrorized the village until the Yondaime defeated it at the cost of his life…"

"Yeah, that's what the Academy taught us," Naruto nodded. He too had heard that abridged version of the story but also remembered the scorns on the faces of his teachers whenever they looked at him. He didn't understand it then, but now he knew completely well why those former teachers of his had held so much disdain towards him, "But it's not the complete truth. In fact, it's only _part_ of the truth. The _truth_ is that the Kyuubi was too powerful to defeat, so the Yondaime sealed it away inside a newborn baby. This baby would then spend the remainder of their life serving as a sort of barrier to keep the Kyuubi from escaping and wrecking havoc again."

"What about the parents?" Hinata asked, aghast at hearing such a thing happen to an innocent baby, "Didn't they have a say in what happened to their child? Why would the Yondaime sacrifice someone else's baby?"

"Both dead," Naruto bluntly answered, suddenly feeling his throat go dry, "Kyuubi killed his parents, so the baby grew up an orphan, never knowing who his parents were, so the village figured why not use him to hold the Kyuubi? It's not like anyone will actually care for him! And you know what Hinata? They were right. This baby grew up constantly being hated by the village for something that he never had a say in. Sometimes I think it's a miracle that he didn't commit suicide…"

"Naruto-kun…how…how do you know all of this…?"

Naruto did not give Hinata a verbal answer. Instead he just stared into her eyes, hoping that his silence would say what his mouth did not have the courage to speak. Hinata had been puzzled at first why Naruto had suddenly decided to talk about the Kyuubi no Kitsune out of the blue. What was the significance? And why would Naruto, the one seen as the "village idiot of Konoha" have so much vast knowledge on the subject?

Hinata had been clueless at first, until she had remembered her earlier question. Why was it that Naruto didn't have flowers, get well cards or chocolates, but everyone else of their peers did? And why did Naruto answer her question with the _true_ story of the Kyuubi?

Hinata immediately covers her mouth with both of her hands, as tears rapidly come flowing down her cheeks. It all made sense. Naruto-kun, _her_ Naruto-kun, was the one holding the Kyuubi to this very day! His happiness and chance at a normal life had been sacrificed for the good of Konoha, and _this_ was how it thanked him?!

"How could they…" Hinata sobs, throwing herself into Naruto's chest. She was beyond irritated, she was pissed, "How could Konoha _do_ _that_ to you?!"

"It's not like they had much of a choice…" Naruto suggests, in an attempt to somewhat justify the actions of the village, "Just think of how many potential lives were saved due to my sacrifice?"

"That's no excuse!" Hinata snarls, grabbing onto the neck portion of Naruto's hospital gown, "You were an innocent child, and after just barely being in the world lost not only your parents, but also _any chance_ at a normal life?! I won't accept this! You deserved better!"

Hinata then leaned in, and crushed her lips upon Naruto's. In contrast to the kiss that Sakura had given Sasuke earlier, Hinata's version was fierce, passionate, demanding, the exact same qualities that she saw in her crush, the same attributes that made her fall for him in the first place, the message which Hinata had been unable to express with words.

"I love you…" Hinata chants, not letting go of Naruto's hospital gown, instead grasping the fabric even tighter, "I've loved you since the moment I first laid eyes upon you…my only regret is that it took me so long to tell you this, but never again shall I cower! Naruto-kun! Become mine! And I promise you, that I shall bring joy to your life every moment we are together! Never again shall you be miserable! Never again shall you long for companionship and affection! Just call my name, and I shall be there!"

"Hinata…" Naruto was left speechless as he stared at the Hyuuga heiress in front of him. Naruto would have _never_ believed that Hinata had been in love with him, not in a million years. And if someone had told him that, Naruto would have laughed it off. Really, who would love _him?_ The scourge of Konoha, destined to forever shield the village from the darkness yet in a sadistic twist of fate not be allowed to escape that same darkness himself. So Naruto would not have believed that Hinata had been in love with him.

At least, until Hinata had kissed him…

Now Naruto was no expert on relationships, but what he _did_ know was that there was no way to fake a kiss as the one he had just received. Intellectual genius he was not, but when it came to feelings and subtle emotions, Naruto usually picked up on that pretty quickly. _Usually…_

Of course the sole exception was when a girl not in his target (that being Haruno Sakura) had the hots for him. Though to be fair, part of the problem came from Hinata herself. But fortunately, thanks to Hinata's assertiveness, it seemed like communication would not be a problem for the two young genin any further…

"I'm sorry to tell you this…" Naruto sighs, hating having to give Hinata this bad news after receiving something positive, "But I'll be out of here in two days. And once I'm released, I'll be leaving the village for a training trip for two and a half years."

"Why must you go?!" Hinata demands, giving Naruto a glare that could pierce through the wall, "Stay here with me, and we can train together, go out on dates, _anything_ that you desire!"

"I don't really have a say in the matter," Naruto removes Hinata's hands from his body, already seeing the disappointed and furious scowl upon her face, "This trip is mandatory. There is an organization that is after me due to the "tenant" that I am holding. I have to steer clear of Konoha until it's safe to return. But I promise to come back, dattebayo!"

"Then I promise you this…" Hinata states, as she stands up, "While you are gone, I shall train my mind and body so that when you return, I will be ready for you. So don't you dare get a girlfriend while you are out of this village Naruto-kun! You belong to me and me alone! I shall not share you with anybody!"

"Heh…" Naruto smirks as Hinata heads towards the door, still finding this entire situation amusing. It wasn't everyday that someone professes their love for you after all… "Do you really mean that?"

Hinata stops walking as her hand touches the doorknob. She turns her head back as she gazes at her beloved. For too long had Naruto been an inspiration to Hinata. Now she would return the favor.

"I don't go back on my words, and I don't run away, for that is my ninja way…"

With those final words said, Hinata opens the door and leaves the room, leaving a stupefied Naruto in complete shock.

"Dattebayo…"

_Two and a half years later…_

"Yatta! It's good to be home, dattebayo!" Fifteen year old Uzumaki Naruto shouts as he stands on top of a building, "I've missed this place!"

While Konoha had more or less stayed the same during his absence from the village, Naruto himself had gone through some changes. For one, Naruto had experienced a much needed growth spurt now standing at 166 cm. The other change was the slight update in his wardrobe. While Naruto's old clothes consisted of a nearly equal portion of orange and blue, Naruto's latest attire (a gift from Jiraiya after destroying Naruto's previous outfit during training) replaced the blue with black, a longer hachimaki to hold the Konoha hitai-ate, and black shinobi boots.

"Yosh! Naruto! It is good to see that the Will of Fire burns deeply inside of you! Now the flame that is Team Seven can once again become the blazing inferno that it was meant to be!"

"Nani?" Naruto looked at his Team Seven sensei Hatake Kakashi like he was an imposter, "Why the hell are you talking like Chou Gejimayu, Kakashi-sensei? Did you lose a bet or something?"

"Nonsense!" Kakashi beams from an adjacent building as he gives Naruto a thumbs up. Unlike Naruto, Kakashi's attire had remained exactly the same although Naruto also noticed that Kakashi didn't have his copy of Icha Icha out,"During your absence I realized just how unyouthful I had been! We are Konoha, the village in the Land of Fire! How then can I be a citizen of Fire Country if I allow my Will of Fire to die out?! That is unacceptable!"

_"Perhaps Kakashi-sensei really did get lost on the road of life, dattebayo…"_ Naruto snarks as he jumps back down to the ground, _"Ero-sennin must have headed off to the bathhouse. Not that I blame him. I could really use a good bath myself…"_

"Hnn…so you finally came back, Naruto…" a stoic Uchiha Sasuke states, wearing an attire consisting of an open short sleeved navy blue shirt with an oversized collar, a black t-shirt underneath, green pants, and a pair of blue sandals , "I see that you still have a liking for bright orange…"

"And that's never going to change, dattebayo," Naruto retorts, as he bumps fists with his closest friend and rival, "But what's with all these girls hanging around you? Last I checked you were never fond of fan clubs…"

"And I'm still not fond of them…" Sasuke snorts, "But these lovely ladies surrounding me are my wives. The Uchiha clan isn't going to repopulate by itself…"

"Repopulate?" Naruto asked, as Kakashi rejoins the duo on the ground. Contrary to popular belief, Naruto was _far_ from being the village idiot of Konoha. He wasn't a genius but he also wasn't as idiotic as he led the village to believe. Naruto _knew_ that Sasuke had all of those women due to the Clan Restoration Act. However, Sasuke didn't know that Naruto already knew, so Naruto had to play dumb for a little bit longer. "What do you mean?"

"I am the last Uchiha," Sasuke answers as his harem of ladies snuggle up against him, "When I die, the Uchiha die with me unless I bring in a new era via childbirth. These women will help me to accomplish that goal and repopulate the village with the proud blood of the Uchiha via the Clan Restoration Act. Perhaps you should consider this as well unless you enjoy being the last Uzumaki."

"My Naruto-kun will do no such thing!"

Naruto shifts his head right and is greeted by a young woman around 160 cm. Naruto couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt there was something familiar about the lady with dark blue hair, open lavender jacket over a mesh bra, and dark blue denim shorts. The black sandals upon her feet were not shinobi issued, instead looking more like something a civilian would wear, and the lipstick added an additional touch befitting that of an idol. This girl would have deluded Naruto in identity completely had it not been for the pale white eyes that glared at him.

"Hi…Hinata…?" Naruto gapes, still not quite believing that such a change had overcome the Hyuuga heiress during his absence. Instead of looking composed and demure, the new Hinata seemed to hold an aura of arrogance and bravado, "You…you look different, dattebayo…"

"You've finally returned to me, my Naruto-kun," Hyuuga Hinata proclaims, as she walks towards what she feels is entitled to her, "And now that you are back home, I am never going to let you out of my sight again…"

A.N: Five years…it's literally been five years since I wrote chapter 6 of Acknowledgement, five years since I've last written a fanfiction in third person. I would like to hope that I've improved in that timeframe, even though I have already accepted that my specialty is first person.

So yeah…new Naruto fic, but this one is _special._ For you see, this has a connection with both Acknowledgement and Beloved. If you'll notice, the first half of this fic almost feels like a rewrite of the original first chapter of Acknowledgement only with better characterization and prose. That was intentional, as Coveted was originally going to be a retcon of Acknowledgement! Yep, I was gonna bring Acknowledgement back from the grave and write again! But as I was writing I realized that I really wanted to write something in the "Road to Ninja" universe without using a genjutsu, so with a little creativity and imagination we get this…

The connection to Beloved is that Coveted is literally the mirror story! Both Coveted and Beloved take place in parallel yet alternate universes. While Beloved is in first person and the characters remain in canon to the best of my own interpretation (with a couple of twerks), Coveted is instead in third person and the characters have shifted to their Road to Ninja personas. So we get girl crazy player Sasuke, hot blooded Kakashi, and confident yet possessive Hinata. The other differences is that while beloved is more of a sweet and gentle story written almost like a poetic hymn, Coveted is instead is more extreme, being imbued with ham and cheese.

So I hope you enjoyed, and for those of you that are fans of Beloved that story is still in the works as well, so you get two stories with a connection to each other (and you will see the connection later on down the line)!


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